June 15, 2012
SAOVA friends,
Animal ownership continues to be under attack at an alarming rate. The APHIS proposed rule changes the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and USDA responsibility forever by broadly extending regulation throughout the retail sector. Concerns for potential invasions of privacy that would result if federal inspectors began enforcing cleaning, sanitation, handling, and other regulatory requirements in private homes is why Congress has previously not amended the AWA and USDA has not revised its long-standing policy to regulate only within the wholesale sector. In the retail sector breeders, sellers, and rescuers work in widely varied environments utilizing practices which work best for them, their breeds, and their goals. Attempting to cover retailers with a one-size fits all blanket of regulation is not only unworkable but will be disastrous for many animal owners.
If you are not clear on the impact federal licensing and regulation will have on you, please read the attached document, "Living with USDA Licensing". The file is also posted at the SAOVA website.
If you care about the future of pets, health and genetic diversity of breeds, the ability to exchange breeding stock between friends, or the ability to maintain a small business, then you MUST submit a comment through the Federal Register portal before July 16.
This is not a race for signatures so petitions and form letters to APHIS only count as one comment from the organizer. Your individual comments and how this affects you make the difference.
Susan Wolf
Sportsmen's & Animal Owners' Voting Alliance
Working to Identify and Elect Supportive Legislators
saova at earthlink.net
WMC - INDUSTRY WARNED OVER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGES
08 June 2012. FRANCE - The global meat industry was warned to take a lesson to from the decline of the horse slaughter industry in the US at the World Meat Congress in Paris last week, writes Chris Harris.
Former congressman Charlie Stenholm said that the complete decline of the horse slaughter industry and the closure of slaughterhouses for horses led by animal rights activists had had severe implications for animal welfare and for the entire horse industry in the US. He warned that other sectors in the meat industry are also at risk from activists demanding changes to welfare conditions - "the unintended consequences," he said.
The closure of horse abattoirs had meant that horses were being transported long distances for slaughter in Canada or Mexico or they were being left to die by owners who could no longer care for them, he told the World Meat Congress.
Mr. Stenholm said the situation had arisen because of a vocal minority, who believed horse slaughter was cruel. However, he said that the loss of the slaughter industry had increased the number of cases of poor treatment and welfare because owners could not afford to either care for the animals or have them euthanized.
He warned the world meat congress that if animal rights activists through well-meaning but misguided campaigns turned on other sectors of the meat industry; it could have similar detrimental effects on the entire industry in some countries.
"It is coming in other areas," former congressman Stenholm said.
"We have it in cages for layers and sow stalls - but what should the size of the cage for layers be and what should the size of the stall be? We are going ahead with it without taking a look at the cost of it."
He warned that excessive ill-thought out changes to regulations of how animals are produced and reared and slaughtered could bring problems in producing food to feed the world.
"If we in the meat industry do not come together and do a better job of educating consumers about what we do and the way we are doing it, we face the possibility of losing out beef, pork and poultry industry," Mr. Stenholm said.
Chris Harris, Editor-in-Chief
Reprinted with permission
http://www.thepigsite.com/swinenews/29968/wmc-industry-warned-over-unintended-consequences-of-changeshttp://tinyurl.com/78btfdr
STOP THE PROPOSED APHIS RULE IN THREE EASY STEPS
The Cavalry Group, June 14, 2012. Once again, we face a fundamental threat to our right to animal ownership in the United States. USDA, through its bureaucratic agency APHIS, is proposing a new regulation to require that ALL pet breeders who have five or more intact females and sell pets outside of the area where they were bred (i.e. online or at a tradeshow) obtain a USDA license and come into compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.
That means if you sell even ONE animal outside of the premises of your breeding facility, you will be required to spend thousands of dollars complying with the AWA and to open your business for USDA inspection. As you know, small breeders cannot afford these onerous regulatory burdens. MANY small American breeding businesses will be bankrupted by this rule, and MANY American jobs will be lost. We have also engaged our attorneys and experts at Olsson, Frank, and Weeda to provide a legal opinion and flowchart for your reference. http://tinyurl.com/7mof5hk
THIS RULE MUST BE STOPPED!
The Cavalry Group, a member-based organization which supports and defends the Constitutional rights of American animal owners, has prepared a plan of action to DEFEAT THIS RULE. If you do nothing else, please complete Step 1, as political pressure from Congress will have a HUGE effect on the decision made by USDA. Steps 2 and 3, however, are also important parts of our program. These easy steps should take no more than a few minutes of your time and could very well save your business!
Step 1: Contact your Congressman
Congress determines the levels of funding for USDA and APHIS. When a Congressman calls, USDA is sure to answer. We need to let OUR Congressmen know that we do not support this rule, and that its passage would cost their district JOBS. The Cavalry Group has developed a sample letter and contact form to make this process as simple as possible. Remember it is always best to customize your letter and make it personal. Follow this link here and TAKE ACTION NOW! http://tinyurl.com/7qqdlqn
Step 2: File a Comment with USDA
APHIS is required by federal law to accept and respond to any comments about the proposed rule that are submitted. The Cavalry Group has provided an easy to use guide to commenting on proposed rules. We need to let the bureaucrats know how this rule will affect our businesses! Follow this link and comment today! http://tinyurl.com/7vd9xd5
Step 3: Contact Secretary Vilsack
Everyone knows 2012 is an election year. We need to let the current administration know that putting pet breeders out of business is not the way to turn this economy around! The Cavalry Group has prepared a sample letter and contact form to get our message to the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Follow this link and send a letter today! http://tinyurl.com/82qnr3l
The Cavalry Group believes that American citizens have the right to raise and sell animals without federal agents regularly snooping through their property. If everyone follows the above steps and lets their elected representatives know that we can raise our own animals without help from the nannies in Washington DC, we will DEFEAT this rule and deal a major blow to the enemies of American agriculture.
BILL TO BAN BEAR HUNTING WITH DOGS SET FOR HEARING ON JUNE 26TH
CALIFORNIA. SB 1221 (Lieu), legislation that would outlaw the use of dogs for hunting bears and bobcats in California, has been officially set for hearing on June 26th in the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. The hearing will begin at 9:00 AM. Room number is yet to be determined.
It is critical that all of those who care about the future of hunting in California join COHA in strong opposition to this bill at the hearing and let their voice be heard. It is also important that members of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee hear from you prior to the hearing. CALL and WRITE committee members TODAY! For a sample opposition letter and Legislator contact information. http://tinyurl.com/6t7js3u
If you hunt with dogs - or if you hunt at all - this measure is a severe threat to you. SB 1221 is largely based on the argument that hunting of bears and bobcats with dogs does not represent the "fair chase" of these species. As such, this legislation not only threatens the long-standing tradition of hunting these species with hounds, but would set precedent placing the hunting of pheasants, quail, ducks and other species with dogs in serious jeopardy. Further, the bill is fully consistent with the statement of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) that they will attack hunting in California first, taking it one species at a time, until all types of hunting are eliminated - then take their forces to other states.
FLORIDA ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST CLAIMS THREATS ARE FREE SPEECH
A Florida animal rights activist is arguing that discussions of graphic violence against a Wayne State University animal researcher, Dr. Donal O'Leary, are federally protected free speech and not stalking. In Detroit's 36th District Court, Camille Marino, 47, said she never intended to act on the violence she wrote about in an Oct. 22, 2011, e-mail to Dr. Donal O'Leary. The physiologist is in charge of cardiovascular research at Wayne State's medical school and conducts research on dogs and rats.
"I'm not a violent person," said Marino, accompanied by two women wearing T-shirts with the words "Wayne State murders and tortures dogs" on the back. Her defense attorney, Matt Savich, said Marino's actions are free speech protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Marino is charged with aggravated stalking and unlawful posting of messages online, both five-year felonies, and trespassing. One email included threats to strap O'Leary down and cut off his limbs with rusty saws, rip his teeth out one-by-one with pliers and pound them into his skull. Full story at Detroit Free Press http://tinyurl.com/7r5ctty
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